


Long Road

by aneptune



Category: JO1 (Japan Band), ORBIT (Japan Band), Produce 101 (Japan TV), Produce 101 Japan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Detectives, Hurt/Comfort, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-29
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:40:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24441505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aneptune/pseuds/aneptune
Summary: Tomo is a suburban cop who got a promotion to become a detective in the head office, located in the capital city. Sho and Junki are best duo detectives in the head office and their teamwork will be tested by Tomo joining them. Or is it just that?I'm not sure before about the genre I should put, but now I'm confident with putting 'angst' in the hashtag.There are some fictional character in it. Will irregularly updated. Thank you for reading.
Kudos: 6





	1. Expected Encounter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When we went to a long road, sometimes we were separated just to meet again at the end of the intersection.

* * *

"What? No! Why? Aren't we good enough already?"

The person who got yelled just blow the smoke from his cigarette and sits unbothered.

"He will complete you."

"What do you mean by that? We solved every damn case just fine!" One of them just like to says his thought out loud, and the other just obediently sits like a good child.

"He will cover your lack of strategies and Junki's panic ass as your strategy maker. Now get out I want to eat my lunch." He crushes his cigarette on the ashtray and gets up, then walks out from his own room, leaving 2 confused persons in it.

"What the hell! A suburbian? What can he do? He'll just ruin our team." The taller still has a lot to say about the information he just received.

"Emm, maybe we better try it out first, Sho-kun?"

"Did you just agree like that? We are like, the best team already."

"But Yoshimoto-san was true, I have panic ass." Junki calmly accepts his weakness that he tries his best to fix.

Sho ruffles his hair and Junki already gets up from his seat and walks towards the door.

"We better get lunch now, right? He will come in 1 hour." Junki doesn't wait for Sho to follow him, he just walks away leaving him behind.

-One hour later.

"Oke, Sho-kun, Junki-kun, please let me introduce you to your new partner, Ando Tomoaki." The one whose name is pronounced makes a 90 degrees bow.

"Good afternoon, I'm Ando Tomoaki, please take care of me." He closes his sentence with another bow.

"Hello Ando-ku-"

"Tomo, just call me Tomo."

"Tomo-kun," Junki corrects himself.

"Tomo is enough actually, but whatever makes you comfortable is fine." He puts a thin smile on his face. A smile that could be read as a 'professional smile' at least that is what Sho can interpret from the new guy.

"I'll call you Tomo-kun for now then. I'm Kono Junki." He reaches out his hands and Tomo takes it for a handshake.

After a handshake, all people in the room expect for another voice to be heard, but silence fill the room instead. Sho doesn't want to introduce himself, that 'Sho' in the beginning should be enough, in his opinion. Yoshimoto-san knows that Sho still in his tantrum mode, he then introduces Sho to Tomo.

"He is Yonashiro Sho. He was the one who absolutely against the idea of you joining his team." Yoshimoto-san smiles at Tomo and pats his shoulder, while Sho stares at Yoshimoto-san too hard until he feels like he popped out his eyeballs.

_No wonder why I feel like seeing a familiar face, he is who I think he is._

Tomo bows to Sho, and Sho just nods his head. Yoshimoto-san leaves those three in a small meeting room and how Junki wishes Yoshimoto-san never leaves because the situation in the room now feels so awkward.

"So Tomo-kun, your basic is general cop, then you move to the investigation department? Yoshimoto-san gave us your resume, I just looked up a few pages." Junki tries to make the room warmer.

"Nah, no problem. Yes, I was a general cop before, then I studied investigation because of a case in the previous office. And now here I am." He is smiling. Bigger than before.

“What case was that?”

“Robbery and homicide. Nobody in the office was capable to do an investigation so we need help from the head office and while they were sending 2 detectives, my boss told me to stick around them to learn.”

“Who are they? Maybe you can meet them here.”

“It’s okay. I heard that they were moved to the office near their hometown because their pension is near.” He lets out a small laugh. Junki laughs too. This first interaction with the new guy makes a good impression on him, and he thinks that it won’t be a problem if he joining their team. Until Junki realizes that there is another guy in the room who hasn’t speak a single word since the new guy appeared, and he thinks, if he let them alone for some times, they will start to speak to each other.

“Tomo-kun, what do you want to drink? Coffee? Tea? Water? Cola?”

“Thank you Junki, I’ll take it myself later.”

“I’ll take it as cola. And you Sho-kun? Ah, coffee, no need to ask. Wait a minute drink will come.” Junki flees from the room and now the two persons there breathe the heavy air. But at least Tomo has something to say.

“It’s been a while, Sho, and it seems like you don’t recognize me.” Hearing that Sho suddenly stares at Tomo with a confused and surprised face plus a little bit of anger.

“Don’t act like you are close to me, and of course I don’t recognize you, how could I. I just met you like 10 minutes ago.” He gets up and leaves the room.

_He doesn’t recognize me, is that possible? What’s wrong with him?_

Tomo wakes up from his reverie when he hears the sound of the opening door. Junki comes in with one can of cola, a cup of coffee, and a bottle of orange juice.

“Wait! Where is Sho-kun?”

“He just left.” Tomo answers as he took the cola that Junki gives him. Junki sits on the chair beside Tomo and lets out a long sigh.

“It will be hard Tomo-kun. Let me be honest to you, Sho-kun is strongly against the idea of you joining our team and it looks like it will take a longer time for him to accept you.” Junki explains the situations to Tomo and Tomo nods as he listens, then he sips his cola.

“And how about you Junki? Are you against it too?” Tomo turns his head to the left, to Junki.

“Me? No! I’m not against it. Plus, I think you are not bad. Look! We could get along just fine like this.”

“Thank you.” Tomo smiles then Junki pats his shoulder.

“Don’t worry Tomo-kun, Sho-kun actually isn’t a difficult person, he isn’t usually that grumpy, so we will wait and see, okay?”

“How long?”

Junki faces Tomo with a confused look.

“How long was for you to get along with him?”

“For this job? It took no time. Because we went to the same academy, same year, same class.” Junki laughs.

“But for the academy, it took about a year to get along with him. He didn’t talk to anybody in his first year.”

“So you went to the same academy in the same year?”

“Same class also!” Junki grins.

_I believe that Junki is younger than me. So he is not, him?_

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have any feedback (criticism, correction, or any other input), please feel free to leave it in the comment. Thank you for reading.
> 
> PS : 6P please stop give us scramble hope that you guys at least still active in your 6P groupchat talking about how hard it is to play the guitar.
> 
> \- by Ano


	2. Day Dream

* * *

"Oka-san, I want to explore the beach! I want to look for some shells!"

"That's good! Bring your ototou with you, you two can play." A woman with a soft voice patted his head.

"I'm not playing! I am doing my school works." He wanted to just run when suddenly his mother put her hands on his shoulder. She wipe the hair on his forehead then caressed his head.

"Tomo, my son, will you please help Oka-san? There are a lot of people will come to our house tonight, and dinner won't be ready if your ototou is around." The woman spoke in her smoothest tone, so that this 7 year old boy would understand.

"But why not Onee-san?" His mother smiled.

"Look Onee-san is helping me with cooking, your father is still working, and you are my only hope." She then hugged the boy in front of her, patted his back, before the boy hugged back. Then he kissed his mother's cheek and smiled.

"Okay Oka-san. But I want takoyaki after this!" The boy acted hard to get.

"Aye Aye Captain! Thank you for your help." She posed as salute then kissed the boy's temple before she walked back to the kitchen.

"Ken! Let's go to the beach!" Tomo shouted to the smaller boy who played with his toy in the living room and after hearing the word beach the smaller jumped right away and run to Tomo.

"Onii-san, can I bring my car?" He showed him a small red car on his hand.

"Yeah, yeah, bring whatever you want." Tomo took his hand and hold him as they walked out the door.

"Tomo, comeback before it's dark, okay baby?" His mother shouted but she got no reply, because Tomo and Ken already out.

Tomo might be young, but he already knew pretty well the neighborhood. He was independent kid, he went to kindergarden by himself and he often went for biking by himself too. There weren't many kids here with the same age as his, so either playing with older boys, which was hard to be approach, he usually play with older people instead.

So far, he already have one close Obaa-san who sold fish and other seafood in the traditional market near the beach. They became close because Tomo once helped her when she skipped a step on the stairs the fell near the market entrance. After that, Obaa-san told him to come once in a while and he did. Too often until she thought that he skipped the school and scolded him but she couldn't turn him away, because he is adorable and basically a good kid.

Recently, he got a new friend. An Ojii-san who lived near the beach. He was a fisherman. Tomo met him when he looked for some shells around his house and Ojii-san told him about the kind of shells and fish too. Tomo really liked it, and now he wanted to go there again before dark, before he went to fishing. Tomo wanted to ask what kind of shells that would match for his school work. His school work was made a gift for the teacher before he graduated from the kindergarden.

Little did he know, that afternoon, he would get another friend who'll change his friendship chart, completely.

Not long after they out from the house, they already at the last intersection before they arrived at the beach, when Ken held Tomo's hands tighter told him to stop.

"Onii-san." Ken pointed out his finger to the direction where there was a boy who held a crying little girl while holding another little girl who, fortunately wasn't crying.

Tomo saw him, and he felt a sudden enlightment. He got two, it must be tough. He couldn't be more sympathized.

Tomo and Ken walked closer to them as they also walked to the beach direction.

"Ehm, eee, do you want some candies?" Tomo just wanted to help stopping the little girl from crying. Those three stopped and turned around. The little girl already wasn't crying as hard as before and the bigger girl now hiding behind his brother's body.

Tomo reached out his hand to give the candy but another voices started to annoy him.

"Onii-san, that is my candy~" Ken started to whine seeing his candy will go away but Tomo was unbothered and insisted to give it to the girl. The little girl stopped crying and reached out his hand too to take the candy but got stopped by the boy, then she started to cry again.

"It's okay, looks like your brother didn't like it."

"Don't mind him. Look your sister wanted it." Tomo put the candy directly to the little girl's hand, also to bigger girl, who happily accepted it.

"Thank you." The boy thanked on behalf of his sisters then left. Leaving Tomo with his crying brother.

Tomo kneeled in front of Ken and wiped out his tears.

"Why are you crying? Look I still have a lot for you little candy monster." Tomo took out the remaining candies from his pocket and showed them to his sobbing brother.

"You know, when you have something, it will be good if you can share it. Mother always told us like that, right?" The smaller boy noded and he wasn't crying anymore but he still got a frown on his face.

"Do you still wanna go the beach?" Tomo handed an unpeeled candy to his brother. He took it and put it on his mouth right away. Tomo smiled.

"But I want a piggy back."

"Spoiled kid!" He flick his brother forehead.

"Hop on!"

"Yeay!" He jumped to Tomo's back and hugged his brother neck.

"Happy now?" Tomo could feel his brother's nod on his neck.

"What do you want to play?"

"I want to play racing car on the sand!" He flied his car in front of Tomo's face.

"Who'll make the race?"

"You!"

"I didn't say I'll make it for you tho."

"Onii~saaan~" Tomo cracked. Teasing his brother is the best thing about having a younger brother.

They finally arrived at the beach, and again, Ken pointed out the familiar face from earlier.

"You wanna play with them? While I make you the race?"

"Yes!"

Tomo put Ken down and he run to them right away. They looked a little bit surprised when Ken got closer. They boy and bigger girl turned to direction where Tomo standing. Tomo just nodded and they already accepted Ken to join them. He then sit on the sand and started to make the race for Ken's car. Not long after he started, the bigger girl walked closer to Tomo. Tomo didn't realize until he heard a voice.

"Thank you for the candy, Onii-san."

Tomo turned his head to the voice. He smiled.

"It's okay, do you want some more?" The girl shook her head.

"Are you from here? Because we just moved. I am Yonashiro Masao." She put her hand on her chest. Then he turned and pointed to the group where Ken was also there.

"My sister Yonashiro Naomi, and my brother Yonashiro Sho."

"Aaah, nice to meet you Masao-chan. I'm Ando Tomoaki, and my brother is Ando Ken. And yes, I live here." Masao bow to Tomo then sat near him.

"What are you making?"

"This is a race for my brother's car."

"Wooow so cool."

Masao was so amazed at how Tomo made the sand race so that she didn't know that he was called by his brother until his brother stood beside her.

"Mao-chan, what's wrong with you? I called but you ignored."

"Sorry, Nii-san, what's wrong?"

"Nao wants you to draw that candy barbie, I don't undetstand." Masao smiled then run to his sister, leaving Tomo and Sho near the sand race.

"It's tough that you have two sibling to babysit." Tomo said that without pausing his work.

"You have no idea." Sho sighed while looking at the kids.

"So, what school will you go to, Sho-kun? You just moved, right?" Sho turned his head to Tomo who was still busy with the sand. After realizing that he got no answer, Tomo brought his head to Sho to find a Sho's confused face.

"No, no, no, I'm not paranormal. Your sister told me." Sho's mouth went to o shape without letting out any voice.

"I'm Tomo by the way. Ando Tomoaki. That's my brother, Ando Ken. Nice to meet you." As he finished with the race, he offered Sho a handshake.

"Ah, but my hands are dirty." He realized that sands covered all over his palm, then he tried to wipe out the sand but his hand got held instead.

"Nice to meet you too." Sho took Tomo's hand for a handshake, with both their hands covered by sands.

-

Drrttt ddrrrt

Today is just his first day, yet Tomo already gets a lot of day dreams. He takes his phone and opens the message he just get.

[+6XXXXX]  
Tomo-kun, please go the meeting room where we met earlier. We got some work.   
-Junki

Tomo put his phone on his pocket, takes his small notebook and a pen then goes to the meeting room.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Orbit lightstick looks so cute.
> 
> \- by Ano


	3. First Mission

* * *

Tomo arrives at the meeting room and finds that his two partners are already there. He sits on the chair closest to the door which is beside Sho's seat. Junki sits on the other side of the table.

"Am I late?"

"No Tomo-kun, we just about to begin." Of course the one who answers is Junki. Tomo nods and opens his notebook.

The meeting begins with Junki explaining about the case, the target, and continues with planned strategies to capture.

"So, this AMP Group, is one of the most active group in drug dealers here. The leader, called Yuta, is their new leader after the deceased of the previous one. Before, their transaction was famous with their secrecy, but since the new leader took over, the secrecy becomes weaker. There are leaks here and there like now." Junki flips another page of his notes and continues.

"Regardless of their lack of the confidential, they are still famous with their skill with the weapon, knife, gun, they even rumored to have a sniper in every transaction. So we have to be very careful."

"Next is our plan. Our guy will be there, as the guard from the buyer, which is also our target. But the buyer is slightly more convenient to catch, so we will focus on AMP. Our guy will report to us about their movement and we are the one who'll decide the time for the interception."

"When is that?" A new voice in this regular discussion asks.

"When it is right," Tomo asked the question to Junki but got an answer with an obvious cynical tone from Sho instead. Tomo is taken aback, not by the cynical tone of the voice but to the fact that this is the first time he makes interaction with him although it can't be called a good one.

Tomo looks toward the person beside him, frowned, disbelieve, and full of question and Junki is the one who has the answer.

"So, we will monitor the movement from our guy." Junki starts explaining the plan and Tomo now focuses on it too.

"We will determine the time based on all the voice that will be caught by the phone our guy put in the line real-time with us."

"Where will the monitoring place located?"

"In a car! Investigation car! Have you ever investigate with this kind of method?" The rest of the people in that room don't know what is wrong with Sho, until he always snaps in the middle of discussion like this.

"I haven't." Short and sharp, Tomo answers without looking to the one who asked.

"Yes, Tomo-kun, we will monitor from the car that will be placed in a reachable radius for us to attack." Junki starts to feel suffocated in this room. Tomo who was laid back before starts to stern and Sho doesn't look like paying attention to what Junki said and just playing with his keys on the table. But Junki keeps trying.

"After we decide that it is the right time to attack, we will move closer to the transaction place.”

“How do we attack?”

“Do you have to ask about that?” Junki starts to think about stopping the meeting because the further the discussion goes, the more Sho becomes out of his character.

“Yes.” Tomo answers and now he stares at Sho, intensively.

“We got a gun, we can fight, there are back up teams, what are you chicken about?”

“At least we must have an initial plan. They got a good fighter, even sniper, how are you gonna predict where the sniper is? Do you estimated the location already?” Tomo turns his head to Junki at the end of his sentence. Junki shakes his head, Tomo then turns his head back to Sho.

“And I AM NOT CHICKEN OUT!” Tomo says it slowly and full of pressure while knocking his pen on the table. Sho somehow irritates by the action.

“What’s wrong with you?” Sho snaps for how god knows many times.

“You asked me ‘what’s wrong with me’? The proper question is, what is wrong with you?” Tomo doesn’t snap but he gradually loses his patient.

“Guys, please guys,” Junki tries to calm them but he got a sound of a bunch of keys being slammed on the table and the door being left open instead. Sho leaves the room without bringing any of his belongings. Tomo doesn’t care about Sho leaving the room but when he catches a glimpse of the bunch of his keys, he changes his mind. He stops Junki when he wants to run after Sho.

“Let me bring him back.” Tomo pats Junki’s shoulder then runs alongside the view of Sho which slowly disappears.

“D-don’t fight, guys. Please.” Junki prays in silence. It is only their first some hours together yet the potential of the team to disband feels so strong.

-

The door of the emergency stairs is pushed by a tall white guy who also doesn’t really understand what is wrong with him. He goes to the upper stairs and doesn’t pay attention to the door which isn’t closed yet because there is someone holds it and push it open again. 

“You do know me, right?” Sho halts a second when he hears that but keep going up. Tomo’s entire blood already hot and now they boil up. He knew that dealing with angry Sho was always nerve wrecking but he forgets that it is this hard and annoying.

Can’t stand being ignored, Tomo pulls Sho’s shoulder and pushes him into the wall, then grabs his collar. Sho tries to escape but Tomo intentionally puts too much power on it so he can’t escape.

“Let go of me!” Sho grabs Tomo’s collar too as an attempt to escape. But he just wastes his energy.

“You know me but you ignored me like a stranger. Are you still that mad? Until you disappeared without any message, and now after 8 fucking years we met and what? You already don’t recognize me? What are you taking me for?”

“What nonsense are you talking about?” Hearing this, Tomo strengthen his grip on Sho’s collar.

“Nonsense? Said that in front of your keychain!” Tomo pushes Sho and releases his hands from the collar while Sho can’t look at the person in front of him so he looks away.

“It doesn’t matter if you prefer to treat me like a stranger but I wish you could be more professional. You don’t look like a member of the best investigation team.” Tomo opens the closest emergency door then leaves Sho alone. Sho’s heart starts beating fast and he finds it hard to breathe.

-

Junki is reading some documents when he hears the door is opened. He smiles when he sees Tomo come back then frowns second after when there is nobody else behind Tomo. Tomo knows what is inside Junki’s head when he saw he changed his expression rapidly.

“He’ll come in a minute.” Tomo sits on his previous seat.

“Ah, yeah, ok. So, are we better to call it a day, or continue?”

“Why are you so lazy? We have no time.” Junki’s frown now completely replaced by a happy smile. Sho comes and goes to his seat and before he sits, he took his abandoned keys which have a Goku figure keychain in it then put them in his pocket. Tomo doesn’t give a shit but deep in his heart he feels something is off about him, something is strange.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really want to see that FC content where Tomo got facial hair.
> 
> \- by Ano


	4. Gift from The Past

* * *

There are not many people around him, considering the time he takes the subway. A group of people with a drunken guy being taken care of is the only companion he has inside the train.  
  
Sho left right after the meeting which finished right at the end of the office hour. He remembers how Junki followed him and asked him to have some drinks, along with Tomo as a welcome party but he just ignored and went away. After that Junki bombed him with nonstop text because a call definitely would not do to Sho in this kind of situation.  
  
_"Sho-kun are you okay?"_  
  
_"What's wrong with you?"  
_  
_"Do you have another problem? Let's talk about it, maybe I can help."  
_  
_"Seriously you make me worried."  
_  
_"Do you dislike Tomo-kun that much?"  
_  
All of them, left unreplied. After the meeting, he went straight to the station. Sit at the bench near the platform as he watched people around him kept changing.  
  
10 minutes. The gap time of the arrival was 10 minutes. Sho lost count at how many times the train already departed from the station, but by the time, he knew that, the first 2 minutes from the arrival, the crowd from the people arriving didn't last long and quickly disappear. 3 minutes after, one or two persons who came early started to look for a seat. 5 minutes after, people slowly gathered near the yellow line, tagging a spot so they could jump to the train from a very good spot. Then after the train arrived, they went into the train like being sucked. And repeat. Again and again, like a wave in the ocean.  
  
He didn't know but he already sat there for 2 hours when he got up then walked out of the station. He kept walking even without a destination in his mind, he felt so lose and he hated it. His life was just fine before today, he works well, eats well, healthy, both of his body and mind, but this sudden event was like a lightning struck on a sunny day.  
  
Now, there he was, unconsciously walked to the direction of their favorite bar although he refused Junki's invitation to drink before. He walked in and asked the waitress, which he already knew well, if Junki was there, and she said no. Sho then revised his question to, did Junki came earlier and already go, again, she said no. He then sighed in relief that Junki wasn't there and confused about why Junki didn't go there either. Then he sat and ordered sake without worrying about the fact that he was alone thanks to his high tolerance to alcohol, he wouldn't get drunk.  
  
He took out his phone from his pocket and want to ask Junki where did he go to drink, but he got struck by the last message Junki sent. He already read it, but somehow it hit differently now, with alcohol in his blood.  
  
_((("Do you dislike Tomo-kun that much?")))  
_  
Yes, I hate everything from the past.

Aside from his unsocial behavior that made him hard to accept new people, but he is a professional. Before his Boss told him and Junki, he already heard a rumor about someone will joining his team, and he did some investigation. He got the name from a person he knew pretty well, a database officer. When he got the results, he couldn’t think of anything knowing his background and didn’t matter how much his heart split into two contrast ideas, but the anger always win. His anger always got him whenever he faced anything related to his past. He, still, couldn’t accept it. Put it in addition, when that person acted as he knows him pretty well, considering how he was angry earlier, that was irritating.

Suddenly he wakes up from his messy mind and reaches his pocket, takes out the keys that he brings everyday with a keychain that accompanies him since he can remember. He holds the figure on the keychain too hard until his hands hurt as a sentence keeps buzzing in his head.

  
_(((Said that in front of your keychain)))_  
  


  
-

  
  
"SHOOO!"

"Why did you always scream?"

"I didn't scream tho." Tomo then joined Sho to walk to the classroom. It was 6 months after they first met and they already become buddies.

"What's your lunch?" Tomo asked the silent Sho.

"Mmm I don't know, my mother just gave it to me."

"What??? What if there are tomatoes in it??? Ew, I hate tomatoes." Tomo sticked out his tounge and close his eyes.

"I like tomatoes tho. But basically I eat everything, so yeah, no problem."

They arrived at the class then sat on their desks which is next to each other on the 4th row, near the window. Sho took out his book when suddenly there was a small box put on his table. He turned to the owner of the hands who put that.

"What is this?"

"What?" The one who were asked parroting without looking but with a playful smile on his face, until it was gone, replaced by a frown when the box was put on his own table.

"What are you doing? This is for you!" He put back the box on Sho's table.

"Why for me?" Sho asked, confused.

"Because today is your birthday!" Tomo turned into Sho's direction then put on a big smile.

"Happy Birthday Sho!"

"How-"

"Good morning kids!" The teacher entered the room before Sho could finish his sentence. He still looked at Tomo while the object already (pretending) busy with his book. Sho then moved his attention to the box and opened it, to find a keychain with a miniature of Goku on it. He once again turned to Tomo just to find his grinning face and forgetting about all the book he was busy with before.

Sho knew, that it was a limited edition merchandise from the latest volume of Dragon Ball, and it was Tomo's favorite. He knew how Tomo longing for the new volume to release and how he prayed everyday so he could get the merchandise that put random on the package, and how he talked about it non-stop before it was released, and how he put aside his daily allowance to buy it and begged his parent to add some money to his piggy bank so he could buy it and how his parents agreed with some conditions like no anime watching when he hadn't done his homework, tidy up his room by himself, and the hardest, played with Ken full time on the weekend. The short span time of knowing Tomo, Sho already got to see his struggle to get this keychain, so he didn't feel like he could accept it. How can he gave it to him instead? He didn't know why he did thid so he put it back in the box and planning to give it back to Tomo after school.

  
  
The rest of the day passed as usual, they ate their lunch, doing task, playing in the yard, get a homework, and finally the class was over. All the kids started to pack their belongings and ready to go home, and nothing special with Tomo and Sho too. They put back their book in the bag, grab their luch box and walked out the class to the gate through the soccer field in front of the school building. They were walking in silent until Sho took out the small box.

"Tomo, I can't accept it, if you want to give me a gift, I'll just get anything, but this," Sho reached out his hand with the box on it. Tomo stopped then look at the box with a confused expression.

"Why you give it back to me?" Tomo asked with a sad expression and it made Sho felt uneasy.

"It just, it is your, it is something you wanna get so bad," Sho tried to explain. Tomo sighed and took the box then walked. When he saw Tomo took the box he didn't know why but he was a little bit confused by his own feeling, half of him relieved that Tomo did what he asked, but his other half felt, disappointed? Until he felt something moving behind his back. It was Tomo, putting the keychain on his bag then walked back to his initial position. Tomo put his hand on Sho's head.

"Just, don't lose it, okay?" Sho startled by the action and looked at Tomo without answering.

"Answer me!" Tomo lost his smile and become annoyed by unfunctioned Sho in front of him. He then put more pressure on Sho's head to make Sho back to his consciousness.

"Okay, okay! Stop it, it hurts!" Hearing Sho's answer, Tomo's smile came back.

"Good!" Tomo's smile became a grin but it couldn't make Sho change his serious expression, and Tomo had zero awareness about it.

"Ne, Tomo."

"What?"

"Now that you know my birthday, I'm sure you know that I'm older than you, right?" He then averted his eyes to the hand on top of his head, and now Tomo knew what was it about. He slowly lift his hand and his grin become an apologetic smile but changed to playfull one in a second.

"But we are in the same class, so ..." Tomo throwed the keychain box to Sho's then run with a loud laugh. Sho still felt a little pissed off, but he laughed along with Tomo and run after him.

"You can't leave the box on the field!" Tomo shouted in the middle of his laugh without turning. Sho stopped then turned and spotted the abandoned box, then run back to picked it. Tomo stopped too then turned to saw Sho run back to pick the box, and when Sho was back to his direction, he sticked his tongue out and run with a laugh louder than before. Sho felt so dejected but again, he run after him with a laugh.

"Wait for me!"

SInce then, one thing never change about Sho, didn't matter how many times he changed his bag, the keychain was always there, through his elementary days, junior high school, senior high school, until when he had to start all over again, he didn't lose it.

It is always with him. 

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lazurite is so beautiful.
> 
> \- by Ano


	5. Investigation

* * *

On the other side of the room, Junki who just got dumped by Sho to have a little welcoming party for Tomo comes inside their room with a slumping shoulder. He feels confused either to go for a drink just the two of them or postponed the welcoming party until Sho isn't grumpy which is most likely won't happen so soon.

When he enters the room, he finds that Tomo is already ready to go back with backpack in one of his shoulder hanging.

"Tomo-kun, you wanna go home already?" Tomo answers by a nod and a smile. It's a lie.

"Emm, actually, mmm," Junki scratches the back of his head.

"Actually, I want to invite you to a little welcoming party at our favorite bar, but Sho-kun already left, so maybe, if you don't mind, we can go by ourself? I know it's a welcoming party to know each other in the team better and having one already left from a three people team-"

"It's okay Junki," Junki stares at Tomo as he walks closer.

"We got a lot of time, and you already did welcome me today. Thank you for that," a tap in Junki's shoulder and a little see you from Tomo ends their first day.

-

Tomo sits in the corner of a convenience store near the office slurping his ramen while texting someone.

_'When will you come? Not punctual as usual.'_

He puts back his phone and tapping his fingers on the table. He doesn't like to wait, he hates if someone being not on time, but considering that the one who always do this is his friends that he already get so used to with him being always late, he can't do anything about it because he is the one who didn't kick him off in the first place when he knew that he is incapable to being on time.

He picks up his phone, because he wants to send another message although he knows that sending him more texts doesn't make any difference, but he does it anyway and turns out he gets a reply.

_'Isn't it the time you shouldn't complaining about it anymore? Hahahaha you look good by the way'_

After reading the last sentence, Tomo lifts his hand and find that the person he's been waiting for more than half an hour standing in uniform outside the store, waving his hand with his police hat on it. Tomo smiles and waves back.

"Tomoaki! Finally you are here!"

"Jun!"

They change a handshake and a hug, then they sit side by side but Jun still feels amazed and stares at Tomo intensely.

"Look at you! Who dress you? Did you do some research on fashion or what? You usually looks clumsy without uniform," Jun is mocking Tomo with probably one of his biggest flaws : questionable taste of fashion.

"Shut up!"

"But seriously, you look good, unbotten checkered shirt, black t, regular jeans, it suits you." Tomo lifts his shoulders once.

"Don't know, I don't have a uniform now, so, I have to dress properly, I guess."

"The almighty detectives!" Jun opens his ramen he ordered before and stirs them then has one long slurp of it before continues.

"I'll give you some tips. Next time wear darker color, and try with white t-shirt too. Plus, do not ever wear skinny or you won't be able to catch the target you are chasing, because you can't run, because it is too tight, squeezing your th-"

"Could you stop?"

"Mmmm, no. But I'll try," another mouthfull noodles disappear.

"I'm not here to ask your advice about my clothes. Your taste isn't that good too."

"Still, better than you."

"Forget it. I need you to help me search about something."

"What?"

"Someone, actually."

"Who?"

"Yonashiro Sho."

"Isn't he your team mates?"

"How did you know?"

"I'm good with gossips."

"You'll never change indeed."

"Why ask me then? Go ask him yourself."

"I need to confirm something, so I need an accurate informations. He can lie."

Gulping down the last broth from the cup, Jun then takes out his phone from his pocket and types.

"Yonashiro Sho," he repeats the name and kinda feel like he ever heard the name before.

"Can I get it tomorrow?"

"Are you crazy?"

"I thought you are fast."

Jun rolls his eyes, because Tomo just knows really well how to provoke him.

"Listen buddy, I am fast. But not for you." He is tidying his empty cup and puts them in the trash can.

"I thought we are friends." Tomo puts a show. Jun gets up from his seat then put on his hat.

"Don't be a drama queen, friend. I'll contact you. My shift starts soon. Bye!" Jun pats Tomo shoulder a couple times then runs out of the store.

-

A group of balded people were already standing in the nice line when suddenly they heard their instructor shouted at a certain someone who just walked closer, without even a hurry knoeing that he was late.

"Uehara Jun!" Not at the rest of students who already there tried so hard to not turn their head to a certain someone whose name being shouted, didn't want to get any trouble, they tried to move their gaze as far as possible instead. Tomo was no exception.

_How could be someone walked in late looking so relax on his first day of academy?_

Tomo couldn't comprehent, and told his ownself to not get any bussiness with him or he would be in trouble too.

But destiny wasn't with Tomo that time.

Later on that day, the announcement of the room arangement was out and they were in the same room.

The next day, Tomo already got a punishment because he came late with Jun who overslept and Tomo was just too kind to not care. So he tried to helped him wake up but dealing with half wake up Jun was another level pain of ass so he decided to not give him anymore attention next time, so that day was Tomo's first and last time being late. He never tried to wake Jun up on any other chances in the future.

For the rest of academy year, there were 12 times of reshuffling the room arrangement and they got a same room for 7 times.

For the group assignment, they were in the same group for 13 times out of 20, and for the final assignment, if Tomo wasn't begging the lecturer and being the good student he was so the lecturer granted his wish, they would also in the same team.

"How could you dumped me?" Jun was furious (but not surprised) after he knew the changing in his final assignment team. He slapped Tomo's head.

"Aw."

"You know, that theme is from the head office and the probability to work there is higher if you take that as your final assignment."

"I don't wanna work there so no problem for me," Tomo said that without any pressure.

"Let me ask you, why you don't wanna to work in the head office? It is good for our career, and you are more than quilified for one spot there I believe."

"You can take mine then," Tomo smiled and another slap landed on his head.

"Stupid!"

"Still smarter than you."

"So where will you apply then?"

"Police station near my house. I have to guard my teritory."

"No way."

"What's wrong? That is perfect!"

"You sure you don't have any other motives? Cause it is so suspicious."

"What are you talking about? Just wake up faster then do your assignment," one slap now landed on Jun's head then Tomo walked away.

Tomo didn't have any other motives, because it was his motive from the beginning. Assuming that he'd got one or two informations that lead to the disappearance of a certain someone.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Lazurit behind the scene was shocking enough for me, then all of those Sho's My Friend, I'm not crying, you are!
> 
> Anyway, I already have the last chap for this, but still have to fix the chapter in between so, yeah.
> 
> -by Ano


	6. Glimpse

* * *

The next day, Junki wakes up with an uneasy feeling thinking about how he gonna pass the day, with his two unmatching teammates. He still remembers the tense that lingers around them from yesterday.

He sighs. He never feels so unmotivated to go to work like this before. Today's agenda is spying on their target, the AMP group. For the first day of spying, they will go together in a group of three. Actually, the most efficient member for spying is 2 people in a group, but considering this is Tomo's first case, Junki decides that for today they won't split.

He gets up from his bed, brushes his teeth, and put on a light blue shirt with dark blue denim pants. He goes to the kitchen then opens one cup of instant ramen and switch on his water heater. He checks up his phone just to find the messages he sent to Sho still unreplied.

_Do you feel any better?_

Only one tap to send that sentence but Junki chooses to delete it instead then he sighs, puts his phone near his opened ramen, and unconsciously opens another ramen.

"Shit," the only word escape from his mouth when he realizes he opened another new one, _what a way to begin a day._

He pours the boiling water for both of his ramens, closes the lid for three minutes then stirs them. He takes a sip of the broth and it is too salty considering that he splits one portion of water for two cups of ramen. Don’t wanna waste the food, Junki adds some cold water to both of his ramens then eat them at a wrong temperature where it isn’t hot nor warm, but isn’t cold yet, he swallows his noodles without thinking further about its taste.

Two empty cups left on the table in a room where no humans in it. Junki goes to the office now also with an uneasy feeling on his stomach. Too full from 2 cups of ramen plus those unsatisfied feeling because it didn’t taste as he wishes.

Daily, Junki is always an energetic person, walking with a head-up, a bright smile never leaving his face, loud voice, playful gesture, like to joke around and make friends, and not to forget the fact that he is a smart person to begin with. But today is one of the rare occasions when you can’t see all those basic personalities of Junki. He walks to the subway station with his head-down, sighing uncountable times he can’t remember when the last time he sighs this much in his life.

If this is a normal condition, his logic brain would think that it is normal to not become friends right away from their first meeting, also, we talk about Yonashiro Sho here. But what happened yesterday just so bizarre for Junki. Why does it feel like they already have so much to argue when in fact they just met for less than 12 hours.

Like a switch of a lamp, his detective soul is activated. He has to look for more information just to find if there something between them that led to what they become now. Or the worst case is, they are just pure two assholes that hard to cooperate with new people, and this thought is already making Junki’s head hurt.

Also, he realizes that he hadn’t seen Tomo’s resume thoroughly yesterday.

The sound of the announcement for the train arrival fills the station. Junki walks closer to the edge of the safety line in the platform feeling a little more motivated to go to work today although the taste of the double weird ramen hasn’t left his tongue yet.

He steps into the subway.

-

“Junki.”

“Yes, Sir?”

“You got one mission and that is Yonashiro Sho.”

“Sorry, Sir?”

“As the class representative, please guide Yonashiro Sho to this college life. He already missing 2 out of 3 classes since this semester began, and he hasn’t applied to the group project for this semester. Please handle it first and tell me if you still couldn’t reach him. I know he is a bit difficult.”

“Copy, Sir.”

“Okay, dismiss.”

That was the first time Junki was forced to interact with one of the most mysterious guys in the class, although they already in the third semester. It wasn’t like Junki didn’t know Sho (hey, he was the class rep), he knew, he even knew his number and basic info like where he lived. But the guy just gave the unreachable impression and Junki wanted to have fun in his college life, so nope. He didn’t try to approach him and talk when it was necessary only.

Later on that day, after the class was over, he tried to do some useless things like asking the other about whether they knew where was Sho or not when he was 100% certain that they wouldn’t know. The slightest chance that someone would know about Sho whereabout was him, then if he himself didn’t know, so asked other people in class was just a vain.

He stayed a little longer in that empty class scrolling through his database to check where did Sho live and turned out it was not so far from their campus. One stop with a bus then walk for not more than 10 minutes will do, so he closed his laptop and move his body to do the mission. Finding Sho.

On the ride, he already prepared a strategy to escape from this mission quickly. He was considering this trip to Sho’s home as his last attempt, and if he wasn’t home, then Junki would tell the professor that he already tried his best and still didn’t find him then it wasn’t his mission anymore. But like what the elderly often said, nobody knows tomorrow, so did Junki.

Three stories building with 7 doors on each floor covered up with white paint and modern architecture design showed that this wasn’t a normal college student could afford. It was more like for middle to upper-class salarymen to settle and Junki didn’t care. He only cared for a door on the second floor that would determine the success of his mission. The ‘14’ sign was on the door and Junki started to knock.

“Hi, Yonashiro-kun, are you in there?”

“I am Junki, the class rep, hope you know me. I am here because an order from the pro-“ Junki stopped his non-stop talking as the door was opened. Mission succeed, Yonashiro Sho was home.

“Hi, Yonashiro-kun,” Junki repeated himself.

“Em, hi, ya, Kono-kun,” Sho opened the door wider.

“Oh my god, I’m glad you know me. So first can I come, I don’t want to talk a lot but it is just not right to have a conversation in front of the door.”

“Ah, yes, please come in.”

“Plus, you don’t look good. Are you sick? Is that why you didn’t go to class?” Junki walked in and went straight to the living room where there were two guitars, a couch, a tv and a cabinet. A door near the tv he assumed that it was the bedroom. And before Sho even answered the questions from Junki, he already got another question.

“You play guitar? That was awesome! I’ll always want to learn how to play but never succeed. Can I borrow for a moment?” Again, before Sho even could open his mouth, one of his guitars was already on Junki’s lap.

“Please be careful,” after a moment of shock, finally Sho could say that with a nervous look on his face.

Junki didn’t pay attention, in fact, he was too happy that he could touch a guitar and play one or two chords left in his brain. He was too excited and play the guitar a little too rough to Sho’s standard.

“PLEASE BE CAREFUL!” Half shouted, Sho already walked closer to Junki and ready to take back his guitar from Junki.

Junki definitely surprised, he never really know how Sho’s voice sound because he barely talked and to hear him shouted like what he just heard telling that the guitar was important for him, something he cherished.

“Sorry,” Junki put back the guitar to the original spot and sit down with an awkward situation.

“I thought you wanna talk about my absence in class?”

“Ah, yes. Thank you for reminding me. So as you know you already missed 2 out of 3 classes, haven’t signed up for this semester group project, also you weren’t seen anywhere around the campus, so the professor told me, as a class rep, to look for you, and bring you back on track.”

“Em, ok.”

“Just ok?”

“How am I supposed to react then?”

“Do you still wanna continue your study or not?” Junki’s class representative mode was on.

“I do,” Sho answered with a low voice almost couldn’t be heard.

“Come to class then. Simple.”

“Can I pass this semester without taking the group project?”

“Nope.”

“I can’t pass then. I don’t have any group mates yet.”

Junki was thinking for a while. About this case, the professor didn’t tell him about his status for not signing up for the group project yet. But maybe he could do gamble about it.

“Don’t worry about it. I can help. Just promise that you never, eh no, not promise, you have to. You have to go to all classes without absence. Do you copy?”

“Deal.”

“Can I keep your word?”

“Sure you can, and thank you for bothering coming here.”

“Don’t thank me just yet, because it was for a bargain,” Junki smiled with a suspicious expression Sho couldn’t guess what that was meant.

“Bargain?”

“Yes!”

“What bargain?”

“Teach me how to play guitar, ok?” A sweat dropped on Sho’s forehead as his fever hadn’t got any better and this sudden visit were too much for Sho to handle. He wanted to end this conversation quickly, he wanted to sleep so badly, and like no other choice he had, he nodded to Junki’s request.

And all it took was just several simple guitar chords to start. Day by day, years past, until they are who they are now.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pretty much inspired by the event of Sho's birthday.
> 
> \- by Ano


End file.
